Process and apparatus for saturating fruit juices and other liquids with gas



Jan. 28, 1941. o BREcouR Erm.'

PROCESS ANU APPARATUS FOR SATURATING FRUIT JUICES AND OTHER LIQUIDS WITH GAS Filed Dec. 28, 1957 f /r//// /lr/ ///////J/ n Patented Jan. 28, 1941 PATENT OFFICE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SATURAT- ING FRUIT JUICES AND OTHER LIQUIDS WITH GAS Otto Brecour, Wandsbek, and Friedrich Kranz,

Bergedorf-Lohbrugge, Hamburg, Germany, assignors to The De Laval'Separator Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 28, 1937, Serial No. 182,040 In Germany January 2, 1937 13 Claims.

It is known to use centrifugal separators for purifying fruit-juices in connection with their storage, under a pressure exerted by carbonio acid gas. The juice which has been purified in the centrifuge is forced into a tank filled with. for instance, carbonio acid gas under a pressure of 6 to 8 atmospheres. The juice may be pumped into the tank either by a pumping device built with the centrifuge or by an individual pump. For obtaining a quick saturation of the juice with carbonic acid gas, an injector apparatus is generally provided in the pipe line, between the pump and the tank, thru which the liquid passes and which sucks carbonio acid gas from the tank. The injector apparatus is of such construction that a very fine distribution of the carbonio acid gas in the fruit Juice ls insured.

'I'he object of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus whereby, if the 20 centrifuge is equipped with the paring device for the liquid discharged from the centrifugal bowl. suchparng device may be made to function efflciently to effect thorough mixing of the gas with the liquid.

In case the centrifuge is provided with a paring device for the liquid, it is possible to work withf out the special pumping device above mentioned. A paring device generally consists of a stationary disc or tube-shaped member into which the 30 rapidly rotating liquid flows from the separating chamber of the centrifugal bowl. In the paring device part of the kinetic energy of the liquid is converted into pressure energy, which conversion, however, inyolves heavy losses partly 3.5 caused by eddies. This fact has been of material importance in contriving the present invention.

It is important, in order to accomplish the purpose of the invention, that the discharge 40' channels of the paring device, into the outer ends of which the liquid flows at high velocity, shall be sharply curved. The static partial vacuum which occurs in these channels (a. vacuum in relation to the static pressure in the discharge pipe and the storage tank) is utilized for sucking the required amount of gas to the paring device. As above stated, the shape of the channels is very important, because the static vacuum depends on the height of the dynamic pressure and the radius of deflection of the boundary surfaces of the channels. A considerable static If the difference of pressure obtained in this way does not enable the mixture of enough gas with the liquid, a higher pressure than that pres ent in the tank must be applied to the gas. The required pressure may, for instance, be generated by a pump arranged between the storage tank and the centrifuge.

The present invention is characterized by the fact that gas is fed into the paring device at suitable points and is nely mixed with the liquid. A `j' The drawing illustrates an apparatus, comprising a tank, centrifuge and paring device and including also, in combination therewith, novel structural features by means of which our improved process may be practiced.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the entire apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the upper part of a centrifuge and' the paring device.

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in horizontal section, of the paring device.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a supplemental .gasfeeding device.

The purifying centrifuge comprises a rotatable bowl I having a feed tube 9. The bowl is enclosed in a stationary frame a. The bowl encloses a purifying chamber (not shown) and above it a paring chamber I3. The puried liquid is discharged from the separating chamber, through the stationary paring device l into a discharge 8 and thence, through a pipe line 2, into a storage tank 3. From the upper part of the tank a pipe line 5 and branches 4 extend to the centrifuge (as hereinafter more particularly described). In the pipe 5 may be a pump 50 of any suitable type, for example, a centrifugal fan. The use of a pump is of advantage, but is not in many cases necessary to the operativeness of the apparatus or` the practice of the process.

'I'he inner zone of the purifying chamber of the bowl communicates with the paring chamber I3 through=a passage 6. Wings I9, attached to the bottom, top and peripheral walls of chamber I3, maintain the rotation of liquid in the chamber. The stationary parer I is preferably disc-shaped, as shown in Fig. 3, and comprises spaced apart wings I0 forming channels II which are sharply curved and increase in width from their peripheral admission ends to their outlet ends, the latter communicating with an annular passage 'I0 surrounding the feed tube 9 and communicating, through the discharge 8, with the pipe line 2.

vIn each of; channels H there are points, such as A and B, in the zone of the convex surface, at which, as above described, the pressure is substantially lower than in the discharge pipe.v

In our invention the gasv pipes 4, connected with the gas pipe line 5, communicate witha.

system of channels I2 at points along the convex surface of the channels Il, whereby gas is admixed with the liquid, and, lowing to the strong currents, is nely distributed therein. By meansf` of the pumping device 50, it is vpossiblegand insome cases is necessary, to increase the ejector action of the liquid by increasing the pressure on the gas. 'Gas may be supplied to the'tank 3H." through a valve-controlled pipe .|6 Vandtreated liquid may be removed through a valve-cxon'.

trolled pipe Il.

In some cases it may be, advantageous tvo-'satl urate therliquid with gas by degrees or -s'tepsi' that is, liquid saturated with gas ismade `to suck.,

up a further quantity of gas at anotherpoint of the paring device o'r in the liquidflow pipeline 2; This maybe brought about, asshown in Fig. 3, by conducting back liquid saturated..withfgas from one paring channel into the'adjacent one thru -a special overflow channel I4;-

It is also possible to build a-liquid injector in' the pipe 2 by which further amountsof gas'are forced into the liquidQas illustrated in Fig. 4,1 in which,` I5 is a valve-controlled gas pipe connecting gas pipe 5` and pipe 2 rand-I8 is the injector; -'"1' While the means above described is especially f efcient for carrying out. our improved process,

the practice of the process is `not dependent` thereonand is `capable of Ybeing practiced byll other means.

While the described use ofthe invention fis the saturation of fruit juices with carbonic acidgas.

the invention is applicable to the charging, to any degree of saturation', of any liquid with any gas.

Patent is;

l. The process of saturatin'g with gas liquidil from a owing body of liquid rotating at high of liquid flowing through said passage.

2. 'I'he process of saturating .with gas liquid from a cwingbody of liquid lrotating at vhigh speedwhich comprises conveying said liquid vtoward a locus of liquid reception through astaf tionary curved closed passage extending lfrom within the body ofliquid inward' toward they axis of rotation, and admitting gas'under pres-V sure tothe concave side ol said stream'asit through said curved passage. n f

3. The process of saturating with gas flows speed which comprises .conveying said liquid to-` ward a locus of liquid reception and gas under pressure through a l stationaryl curved f closed passage extending from withinr the body' oiV rotating liquid inward to its axis of rotation," wherein, du'e to thecentrifugal force, the'liquid` tends to leave one side of the passageand azone f of reduced pressure is created along thatV side'.

What we claim and desire to protect by'l'letters 'throughis acted upon by:` entrifugaly force n cause a relatively high pressure `'along ythe'rr'con--l-VV cave walls and aA relatively?low-pressureY along;

liquid* from a flowing body of liquid rotating at high ofthe gas with'thec'ntri'fu'ged'liquid "which, p

and admitting vgas fromsaid locus to the reduced pressure side of the stream 'i of liquid flowing through said passage.

4. 'Ihe process set forth in claim 3fwhich comgas in the course of its flow ,from said locus in saidpassage. l f y 5. The process set forth`inclaim` l in which said .gas is admittedto said reduced pressure "side of the stream of liquid at a number of points alongsaid stream. l. 6.- Thev processof saturating with gas liquid from a flowing body of liquid rotating at high speed whichacomprises conveying said liquid toward a, lo'cus o1 liquid reception through,v sta- 'tionary l curved closed .passages extending from within `A the body ofrotating liquid inward toward the axis of rotation, admitting gas-under 'pres- `prises also imparting ak higher pressure to the f lsure to'` the low'p`r 'essure side of the stream of liquid 'owing through ,said passages, .and conveying gas-impregnated liquid` from the high pressureside of one passage vinto the low press'ure vside of another :passage to, effect 'inl vthe Vlatter ahgher degree of saturation of the liquid therein.'` 1 l l' l, ff

'7. A stationary paring vdisc for removingliquids lfrom a centrifuge, having af'sharply curvedpas-r sage Vextendingfrom the periphery ofj the disc toward yitscenter.Whereby'liquiiflowing there'-v through has its direction so rapidly'changed that centrifugal/force causes a" tendency to leavef the con'vexv'wallv-of--the passage and 'produces a vrelkatively 'low pressure along said wall, and meansv providing gas admissionports opening only along l said convex wall.-

8. A stationary paring disc for removingliquids from `a centrifuge.- having sharply curved; passages extending from" their: peripheries V,toward their centers, whereby liquid moving there-j through is acted upon by centrifugal/force to i cause' a relatively high Ypressure'alongtheir concave walls and a relativelyv lowl pressure along their convex wallsfmeansV for' admission of `gasYl to the passages andgchannels'each communiat" ing atone' endwithr a portfin'the concave wallf of one passage and at the otherqend with a port in the convex wall of another passage.

9. A stationary paring'disc for removing liquids from'i a'. Centrifuge,'= having s'ha'rp1y'curvedpas'- sages *extending` from "their Iperipheries toward their fcenters.A whereby liquidfmoving .fthe

ports alo'ng'the convex wall'of each passage cornmunicatingwith the gasa'ldrriissionv 'means'. and: l channels eachl openingat one end into the"con4 'V cave wall' of one passage and at the otherv endA into the convex wall lof'anotherpassage.

-10. In-'a liquid purifying apparatuslcomprisingh" a centrifuge, a stationary "paring" disc having" sharplycurved passages lextending j frorn'q'itsj p. I

throughl which thei'purifledv liquilfis` discharged 'i 'tothe tankan'dl m'ean'stov admit gasto f sh'etar'iV the improvement*for effecting thoroughfrnixin comprises channelscommunicatingjy with `saldi; tank'an'dv withv said passages along theirco nvex"` the liquid entering the' channel substantially less' than thefpr'es'surej aiqngj'tneir' g concave sidesl and the vgas-"is therefore sucked intoV -the passages 'while lthe "liquidf l:is j flowing there-ff through.

11. In a liquid purifying apparatus comprising a centrifuge, a stationary paring disc having sharply curved passages extending from its periphery toward its center, an outow pipe through which the purified liquid is discharged to the tank and means to admit gas to the tank, the improvement for effecting thorough mixing of the gas with the centrifuged liquid which comprises channels communicating with said tank and with said passages along their convex sides, and other channels each opening at opposite ends into the concave wall of one passage and the convex wall of another passage.

12. The process of saturating liquid with gas which comprises pumping said liquid from an annular body of liquid in closed streams in sharply curved directions inwardly toward a common center to therebycreate a pressure along the concave sides of the streams substantially less than that along the convex sides of the streams, and admitting gas at points along only the concave sides of the streams.

13. The process of saturating liquid with gas which comprises pumping said liquid from an annular body of liquid in closed streams in sharply curved directions inwardly toward a common center to thereby create a pressure .along the concave sides of the streams substan tially less than that along the convex sides of` the streams, admitting gas along the concave sides of the streams and conveying liquid from the convex side of one stream to the concave side of another stream. l

O'I'IO BRECOUR. FRIEDRICH KRANZ. 

